In Depth

What’s Really Going on With the Latest Challenge to Nielsen?

By Chuck Ross This week saw the official announcement of a group of media buyers and sellers who could possibly challenge Nielsen’s dominance in media measurement. First, some stats: Name: Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM). At least that’s what…

All About GM’s New Auto Ad Campaign

By Michael BushAdvertising Age General Motors Corp. marketing chief Bob Lutz swears the automaker’s new TV spots featuring GM Chairman Ed Whitacre are nothing like the Lee Iacocca ads Chrysler ran back in the 1980s. Mr. Whitacre, a white-haired former…

Diane Sawyer’s New Job: Anchoring ABC’s ‘World News’ Starting in January; Charlie Gibson Retiring

Diane Sawyer will become the anchor of ABC’s primary weekday newscast, "World News" starting in January. Current anchor Charlie Gibson has anounced he will retire. In the ratings, Gibson’s broadcast is in second place, after NBC’s nighly newscast anchored by…

Disney is Buying Marvel for $4 Billion: Hannah Montana and the Wizards of Waverly Place, Meet Your New Cousins That All the Boys Love—Spider-Man, Iron Man and the X-Men

The Walt Disney Co. announced today that it is acquiring Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion–to be paid for with 60% in cash and 40% in stock . With a stable that includes Spider-Man, the X-Men and Iron Man, among many…

‘Bold and Beautiful’ Wins Best Daytime Drama Emmy For First Time in the Show’s 22 Year History; Alas, the CW Broadcast was Going Overtime so Ceremony Was Off-the-air Before ‘Bold’ Producers Could Accept the Award; Sunday’s Full List of Winners

RESULTS OF THE 36th ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS, PRESENTED SUNDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 30, 2009, LIVE AT THE ORPHEUM THEATRE IN LOS ANGELES NETWORK TOTALS August 29th (Creative Emmy Awards), August 30th, Total ABC 10 7 17 PBS 15 1 16 SYNDICATED…

Steinbrenner Sued for $38 Million Over the Creation and Operation of YES Network; Suit Filed by the Ex-President of MSG Network

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has been sued over the creation and operation of the YES Network, Reuters reports. YES stands for Yankees Entertainment and Sports. The person who filed the suit is Robert Gutkowski, a former president of the MSG…

In an Extraordinarily Tough Year for Ad Sales, The NFL Scores a Touchdown; Plus the NFL Network’s Way to Engage Those Working at Media Agencies

By John ConsoliSpecial to TVWeek With two weeks to go until the regular season opening weekend, ESPN has already sold out its September and October inventory for Monday Night Football, and the other networks are actively writing business. “The television…

Okay Planners, You’re Being Bombarded by Clients Wanting Product Placement in TV Shows. Time to Think a Little Out of Your Comfort Zone, as This Article Attests

By Brian SteinbergAdvertising Age Spanish-language network Univision is making an "American Idol" play by launching musical talent contest "¡Viva el Sueño!" (Live the Dream!"). The show will pit 14 contestants against each other to determine which of them will have…

HBO’s Sheila Nevins to Be Honored With TV Academy’s Governors Award

HBO Documentary Films President Sheila Nevins will be this year’s recipient of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Governors Award. Nevins, who is the 15th individual to be presented with ATAS’s Governors Award since 1978, will receive the honor at the…

’60 Minutes’ Creator Don Hewitt Dead at 86

Don Hewitt, the newsman who created CBS’s definitive magazine show, "60 Minutes," and during his decades at the network worked behind the scenes with legendary CBS News reporters Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, has succumbed to cancer at age…